ONE  HOUR 


By  L.  O.  DAWSON, 
Pastor  Mt.  Vernon  Baptist  Church , 


0  THE  CENTENARY  OF  MODERN 

c\  I 


UTiON 


L'FSVjLLf.. 

BAPraf^B©^ 


ERN 


This  little  fragment  is  published  at  the  request 
of  the  Baptist  Bible  Institute  of  South  East  Ken¬ 
tucky,  before  which  it  was  read  at  Williams¬ 
burg,  August  5,  1891.  The  hesitation  I  feel  in 
giving  to  the  public  a  work  so  imperfect  is  over¬ 
come  by  the  hope  that  it  may  be  of  some  assist¬ 
ance  to  those  who  have  no  money,  time,  nor 
inclination  to  purchase  and  read  the  more  elab¬ 
orate  missionary  histories  and  biographies. 

It  will  be  observed  that  I  have  followed  mainly 
the  Life  of  Judson ,  by  Edward  Judson  ;  also  draw¬ 
ing  aid  from  Armitage’s  History  of  the  Baptists ; 
Hervey’s  Story  of  Baptist  Missions ,  and  Hartley's 
Lives  of  the  Three  Mrs.  Judsons. 


L.  O.  D. 


JXDONIRAM  JUDSON  was  born  at 
Malden,  Mass.,  August  9th,  1788,  of 
Congregational  parentage,  his  father  being 
a  minister  in  that  denomination.  It  is  re¬ 
ported  that  he  could  read  at  three  years  of 
age,  and  that  he  used  to  “play  church” 
with  the  children,  himself  being  the 
preacher.  Even  then  his  favorite  hymn 
was,  ‘“Go  preach  my  Gospel,’  Saith  the. 
Lord.” 

From  the  very  cradle  he  appears  as  one' 
set  apart.  The  Hand  of  God  not  only  di¬ 
rected  the  steps  of  the  man,  but  formed 
and  guided  the  inclinations  of  the  child. 

He  was  early  filled  with  high  ambitions 
which  were  fanned  into  a  flame  by  his  par¬ 
ents  and  teachers,  but  which  had  to  be 
sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  his  love  for  Christ 
when  they  had  reached  a  point  of  almost 
consuming  intensity.  The  man  can  be 
seen  in  the  boy,  for  even  in  early  youth 
there  could  be  noted  that  bold,  active  spirit 
which  was  so  characteristic  of  the  Mis¬ 
sionary. 


4 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


He  entered  Providence  College,  which 
afterwards  became  Brown’s  University,  in 
the  session  of  1804,  and  showing  remark¬ 
able  talents  in  all  his  studies,  especially 
in  Greek  and  Mathematics,  he  graduated  in 
1807  with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class. 
For  a  while  after  leaving  college  he  taught 
school,  but  soon  joined  a  strolling  band  of 
play  actors,  and  led  a  wild,  dissolute  life. 
Under  the  influence  of  a  companion,  a 
year  in  advance  of  him,  he  had  imbibed  at 
college  notions  of  infidelity,  and  was  led 
to  deny  the  God  whose  Gospel  his  father 
preached.  But  as  in  the  case  of  Paul,  the 
Saviour  whom  he  despised  had  His  hand 
upon  him,  had  him  reserved  for  a  purpose 
from  which  he  could  no  more  escape  than 
he  could  from  Mother  Earth,  who  holds 
with  an  unseen,  but  relentless  grasp  all  her 
children  on  her  bosom. 

One  night  while  traveling  alone  through 
the  country  he  was  shown  to  his  room  by 
the  landlord  who  apologized  for  placing 
him  next  door  to  a  dying  man,  but  assured 
him  it  was  the  best  he  could  do  that  n  ight. 
All  night  Judson  could  hear  the  dying 
groans,  and  the  queerest  fancies  took  pos- 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON.  5 

session  of  his  mind.  “ Suppose  it  were 
he  ?  What  of  his  soul?”  It  was  in  vain 
that  he  assured  himself  there  was  no  God; 
these  thoughts  kept  coming  in  spite  of 
himself.  He  felt  ashamed,  and  wondered 
what  his  infidel  friend  would  say  if  he 
knew  it.  But  for  all  that,  he  got  no  sleep 
that  night,  and  dressing  next  morning 
with  unrefreshed  mind  and  body  he  went 
to  the  office  to  ask  about  the  man  whose 
groans  had  ceased  in  the  early  dawn,  and 
learned  that  he  was  dead.  “Who  is  the 
poor  fellow?”  Judson  asked.  “It  is  a 
“Mr.  E.”  “Mr.  E. !  Great  God  !  is  it  pos¬ 
sible?”  Yes,  it  was  possible,  and  none 
other  than  his  old-time  infidel  friend  who 
had  gone  to  learn  the  reality  of  the  terri¬ 
ble  fact  which  he  had  taught  Judson  to 
regard  as  an  idle  fiction. 

He  had  no  more  heart  to  travel,  and 
returned  home  a  very  miserable,  but  con¬ 
siderably  wiser  man.  There  followed  a 
period  of  severe  trial  for  his  soul,  the 
agony  of  which  I  have  neither  time  nor 
language  to  describe.  In  this  sad  condi- 
tion  he  entered  Andover  Theological  Sem¬ 
inary,  but  neither  as  a  candidate  for  the 


■6 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


ministry  nor  yet  a  professor  of  religion. 
At  last  his  troubled  heart  found  peace  in 
the  Saviour,  and  thenceforward  “the  Love 
of  Christ”  became  the  theme  of  his  life, 
and  was  the  song  that  engaged  his  dying 
breath. 

He  joined  the  Congregational  Church 
May  28th,  1809.  Having  once  acknowl¬ 
edged  Christ  as  his  Master,  like  Paul,  he 
measured  all  his  acts  by  the  rule  of  God’s 
pleasure.  He  wrote  the  sentence  :  “Is  it 
pleasing  to  God”  on  different  articles  of 
furniture  in  his  room,  just  as  the  Holy 
Spirit  had  written  it  in  deeper  lines  upon 
the  tablet  of  his  heart. 

The  last  thing  in  the  world  he  would 
have  thought  of  as  an  ambitious  youth, 
was  the  life  of  a  poor,  despised  mis¬ 
sionary.  But  the  Lord  didn’t  consult  him 
about  it  anv  more  than  he  did  Paul  on 
the  same  subject  when  He  said,  “Depart, 
I  will  send  thee  forth  far  hence  to  the 
Oentiles.”  The  resistless  current  of  God’s 
providence  bore  him  on  in  a*  way  he  knew 
not  whither.  Chance,  some  people  would 
say,  put  into  his  hands  a  sermon  by 
Dr.  Claudius  Buchanan,  a  former  chaplain 


AD  ON  I  RAM  JUDSON. 


i 

of  the  East  India  Company,  on  the  “Star  in 
the  East.”  There  was  nothing  remarkable 
in  the  sermon  itself,  but  with  some  pecu¬ 
liar  power  it  attracted  his  mind  to  the 
heathen  of  far  off  India,  and  he  could  not 
rid  himself  of  the  impression  that  he  ought 
to  go  and  declare  to  them  the  riches  of 
God’s  Grace. 

In  the  meantime,  .the  Spirit  was  at  work 
elsewhere.  The  same  thing  was  in  the 
hearts  of  four  boys  in  college  at  Williams- 
town,  who  bore  the  now  famous  names  of 
Samuel  J.  Mills,  Jr.,  James  Richards, 
Luther  Rice  and  Gordon  Hall.  These 
used  to  go  out  at  night  to  an  old  haystack 
near  by — the  place  is  now  marked  by  a 
monument — and  wrestle  with  God  con¬ 
cerning  the  burden  on  their  souls.  They 
knew  nothing  of  Judson,  nor  he  of  them, 
but  God  brought  them  together  at  An¬ 
dover,  and  the  spark  on  each  heart  attract¬ 
ed  that  of  the  others,  and  burning  all 
together,  consumed  them  with  such  a  flame 
of  desire  that  they  determined  to  go. 

But  how  ?  “How  can  they  preach  except 
they  be  sent,”  says  Paul.  They  were 
going  as  lambs  among  wolves,  from  whom 


8 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


they  must  expect  hate  rather  than  love  ; 
destruction,  not  nourishment.  So  far  as 
they  knew,  there  were  none  at  home  who 
cared  aught  for  the  heathen,  and  there  was 
nobody  to  feed  them  while  they  preached. 
And  further,  although  Judson’s  ambitions 
are  now  crucified,  his  father's  for  him  are 
not,  and  who  ever  loved  a  father  as  Jud- 
son  did  his,  that  would  not  shrink  from 
bringing  a  bitter  disappointment  to  his 
old  age  ?  His  mother’s  and  his  sister’s 
love — how  could  he  break  their  hearts  ? 
Ah !  me,  how  little  we  can  appreciate 
this.  I  pass  it  over  in  a  few  cold  words, 
but  it  has  been  almost  a  death  struggle 
with  many  a  man  and  woman  who  left 
home  and  native  land  for  the  Gospel’s 
sake.  If  my  old  room-mate  and  comrade, 
who  is  now  in  Japan,  were  here  he  might 
make  you  understand  what  it  means  to  get 
letters  blurred  with  tears  and  signed  with 
a  trembling  hand,  “Your  old  broken¬ 
hearted  Mother.” 

So  there  they  were  !  What  could  they 
do  with  the  sea  in  front,  mountains  of 
difficulty  on  either  side  and  an  Egyptian 
army  of  opposition  behind  ?  Like  the 
children  of  Israel,  they  “went  forward.” 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 


9 


There  being  no  missionary  organization 
in  America  to  which  they  could  appeal, 
they  wrote  to  the  London  Missionary  So¬ 
ciety  and  anxiously  awaited  a  reply.  Mean¬ 
while  the  Congregational  General  Associa¬ 
tion  of  Massachusetts  met,  and  four  of  the 
boys,  including  Judson,  applied  to  them 
for  support  while  they  preached  in  India. 
It  was  an  appeal  which  could  not  be  re¬ 
sisted,  and  in  June,  1810,  this  Association 
formed  a  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  The 
first  ever  appointed  by  any  body  of  Chris¬ 
tians  in  America.  The  Almighty  rod  was 
stretched  across  the  sea,  and  they  were  to 
walk  across  on  dry  land. 

On  January  11th,  1811,  Judson  was  sent 
by  the  new  Board  to  get  the  co-operation 
of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  for  it 
was  feared  that  unassisted  they  would  not 
be  able  to  support  the  missionaries.  On 
his  journey  to  England  the  ship  in  which 
he  sailed  was  captured  by  a  French  vessel, 
and  the  impatient  young  preacher  had  his 
faith  sorely  tried  by  a  tedious  delay  in 
France,  part  of  which  was  spent  in  prison. 

I  cannot  stop  to  tell  how  he  finally 
reached  London,  nor  why  it  was  a  blessing 


10  ONE  HOUR  WITH 

to  American  Missions  that  his  visit  was 
fruitless,  but  will  meet  him  at  his  wed¬ 
ding,  February  5th,  1812.  God  had  pre¬ 
pared  a  helper  for  him.  He  had  won  her 
heart  and  now  coveted  her  hand. 

Miss  Ann  Hasseltine,who  that  day  added 
uJudson”  to  her  name,  was  one  of  the  nob¬ 
lest  women  God  ever  made,  and  was  in 
every  way  worthy  of  the  princely  man  she 
'  married.  Judson  was  ordained  next  day  at 
Salem,  and,  on  February  19th,  set  sail  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell  for  Calcutta,  India. 

But  he  is  not  yet  prepared  for  his  work. 
Remember  he  is  a  Congregationalist,  sub¬ 
stituting  sprinkling  for  baptism,  and  ad¬ 
ministering  that  ordinance  alike  to  un¬ 
conscious  babe  and  converted  adult.  On 
that  long  voyage  he  had  time  for  reflection, 
and  the  question  came,  that  if  God  con¬ 
verted  heathen  hearts,  must  he  therefore 
baptize  their  children  and  servants  as  he 
ought  to  do  if  baptism  really  took  the 
place  of  circumcision,  according  to  the 
teaching  of  his  church. 

Besides,  he  had  to  study  the  subject  well, 
for  the  Baptists  of  England  had  already 
sent  Carey,  Marshman  and  Ward  to  India, 


AD  ON  IR  AM  JUDSON. 


11 


and  they  would  call  upon  him  to  give  a 
reason  for  the  faith  that  was  in  him.  Yes, 
he  must  study  the  subject.  Must  prepare 
for  war  in  time  of  peace.  And  he  did. 
Alone,  with  God  and  his  Bible,  on  that 
little  ship  sailing  like  a  speck  between  the 
boundless  sky  and  apparently  boundless 
sea,  he  sought  for  the  proof  of  his  error, 
but  that  same  Power  which  was  shaping 
his  life  led  him  to  the  truth  instead.  He 
became  convinced  that  the  Baptists  were 
right ! 

It  was  a  most  uncomfortable  and  dan¬ 
gerous  conclusion.  It  was  against  all  his 
childhood  training  and  Seminary  study. 
His  father  was  still  preaching  and  prac¬ 
ticing  the  doctrine  of  infant  baptism,  and 
worse  than  all,  his  wife,  herself  a  bold 
and  independent  thinker,  declared  she 
never  would  be  a  Baptist.  Then,  how  could 
he  separate  from  those  boon  companions 
in  the  missionary  work,  for  whom  he  enter¬ 
tained  a  love  necessarily  peculiar,  warm, 
and  deep '  Moreover,  it  was  a  question  of 
meat  and  bread.  If  he  severed  his  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  Board  which  he  had  called 
into  existence  in  America,  who  would  sup- 


12 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


port  him?  The  Baptists  there  were  still 
busy  beginning  at  Jerusalem,  and  had  no 
time  to  go  over  and  help  Macedonia. 

At  this  time  he  was  tempted  to  believe 
that  after  all,  these  matters  were  not  so 
important,  and  that  holding  them  as  his 
own  private  views,  and  remaining  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Congregational  Church,  he  could 
draw  support  from  it,  and  at  the  same  time 
spare  the  feelings,  and  save  the  friendship 
of  his  loved  ones  at  home,  to  say  nothing 
of  keeping  peace  and  harmony  in  his  own 
family. 

We  may  realize  the  strength  of  this  trial 
when  we  remember  the  great  number  who 
are  convinced  that  the  Scriptures  do  not 
teach  sprinkling  and  infant  baptism,  and 
yet,  rather  than  be  disturbed  in  the  various 
relations  of  life  into  which  their  religious 
beliefs  enter,  not  only  refuse  to  correct 
their  own  error,  but  give  countenance  and 
support  to  its  practice  upon  others.  They 
convince  themselves  that  it  is  unimportant, 
and  so  find  ease  of  conscience.  There  is 
much  to  excuse,  but  nothing  to  justify 
them,  and  it  was  the  knowledge  of  this 
that  brought  Judson  out  of  the  fiery  temp- 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON.  13 

tation  with  his  garments  unsinged,  and  his 
countenance  “like  the  morning.” 

Soon  after  this  his  wife  yielding  to 
the  plain  teaching  of  the  Scriptures  re¬ 
nounced  the  error  of  her  fathers  for  the 
truth  of  her  God,  and  when  they  landed  in 
Calcutta,  it  was  the  feet  of  Baptist  Mis¬ 
sionaries  that  pressed  the  soil  of  “India’s 
Coral  Strand.” 

.  In  prompt  obedience  to  their  Lord’s 
commands,  they  sought  and  obtained  bap¬ 
tism  at  the  hands  of  the  Baptist  Mission¬ 
aries.  To  my  mind,  this  is  one  of  the  most 
important  and  sublime  events  in  the  his¬ 
tory  of  the  world.  Let  us  see.  There  they 
go  with  the  Missionary  “down  into  the 
water  ”  as  the  Eunuch  went  with  Phillip. 
What  does  it  mean  to  them?.  They  are 
alone,  strangers  in  a  strange  land,  among 
a  people  who  know  not  how  to  bless,  and 
who  mutter  their  curses,  or  express  their 
contempt  in  an  unknown  tongue.  An 
ocean  and  a  continent  stretch  between 
them  and  all  who  love  them,  and  by  this 
voluntary  act  they  are  fixing  with  their 
own  hand  a  yet  more  impassable  gulf  be¬ 
tween  them,  while  starvation  stares  them 


14 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


in  the  face.  But  it  had  been  commanded, 
and  they  had  no  alternative  but  obedience. 
So,  with  calm,  unfaltering,  unhesitating 
hearts,  they  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  and  “come 
straightway  up  out  of  the  water.”  No  one 
saw  the  Spirit  descending,  nor  heard  the 
voice  in  the  air,  but  they  felt  His  power 
in  their  peaceful  hearts,  and  their  souls 
caught  the  whisper,  “Ye  are  my  beloved 
disciples,  in  thee  I  am  well  pleased.” 

Their  work  of  preparation  is  done.  They 
are  ready  now  for  their  task. 

One  of  his  College  companions,  Luther 
Bice,  had  also  reached  India  on  a  different 
ship  from  Judson,  and  during  the  voyage, 
had  like  him  become  a  Baptist.  Evidently 
a  sea  voyage  did  not  agree  with  the  Mis¬ 
sionaries.  It  was  hard  to  believe  in 
sprinkling  with  a  Baptist  Bible  in  mid¬ 
ocean.  It  made  one  think  too  much  of 
Enon,  and  the  one  who  chose  it  as  a  place 
of  baptism  because  “there  was  much  water 
there.” 

Bice  returned  to  America  to  carry  the 
news  to  the  Baptists  that  God  had  thrust 
upon  them  this  great  mission  work,  and 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON.  15 

its  announcement  electrified  them  from 
Maine  to  Alabama.  They  at  once  took  up 
the  long  neglected  duty  and  formed  plans 
for  the  support  of  the  Judsons.  And  this 
marked  an  era  in  their  growth  at  home. 

I  need  hardly  mention,  in  this  connection, 
the  well  known  fact  that  those  denomina¬ 
tions  which  have  shown  the  greatest  zeal 
in  sending  the  Gospel  to  foreign  lands  have 
had  the  largest  growth  at  home.  And  what 
is  true  of  denominations  at  large,  holds 
equally  true  with  individual  churches. 
To  disregard  the  last  great  command  seems 
to  bring  on  a  church  the  Saviour’s  curse, 
and  like  the  fig  tree  it  withers  away.  I  once 
heard  Dr.  Jno.  A.  Broadus  say,  that  when 
Christianity  ceases  to  grow  at  the  circum¬ 
ference  it  begins  to  decay  at  the  centre. 
The  most  casual  glance  at  history  demon¬ 
strates  the  truth  of  his  statement. 

The  ever  present  and  busy  hand  of  God 
was  seen,  not  only  in  arousing  His  slum¬ 
bering  people  at  home,  but  in  the  way  He 
located  the  Missionaries,  without  consult¬ 
ing  them  one  way  or  the  other.  After 
much  wandering  and  anxiety,  Judson  went 
to  Madras  to  work  where  he  could  expect 


16 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


the  protection  of  the  English  government 
which  had  possession  of  India.  But  the 
East  India  Company,  which  had  control  of 
matters  and  were  at  work  there  for  money, 
did  not  want  the  natives  disturbed  by  the 
teacher  of  a  new  religion,  and  so  ordered 
him  to  leave.  There  was  only  one  of  two 
ways.  He  must  go  to  England,  and  give 
up  his  work  altogether,  or  to  Rangoon  in 
Burmah,  a  country  governed  by  a  heathen 
tyrant  who  could  take  the  life  of  any  one 
in  his  kingdom  whenever  he  chose — and 
the  trouble  was,  he  was  always  choosing. 
It  was  clear  he  could  not  go  to  England. 
So  the  only  thing  left  was  to  go  to  Ran¬ 
goon.  With  the  Bible  in  one  hand,  and 
their  lives  in  the  other,  the  man  and  his 
wife  followed  on,  not  knowing  where  they 
were  being  led.  “God  having  drawn 
around  them  the  relentless  cord  of  His 
Providence,”  soon  showed  them  that  the 
place  was  selected  with  a  wisdom  which 
they  did  not  possess.  For,  as  Dr.  Edward 
Judson  says,  Rangoon  was  the  center  of 
Burman  commercial  life  and  the  key  to 
that  part  of  Asia. 

And  now  began  a  long  period  of  toil 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON.  17 

with  no  visible  result  to  encourage.  Any 
of  us  can  work  when  our  eyes  are  glad¬ 
dened  now  and  then  by  the  fruit  of  our 
labor,  but  when  it  comes  to  years  and 
years  of  unbroken  effort  to  no  apparent 
purpose,  the  stoutest  among  us  get  dis¬ 
couraged  and  weep  with  Elijah  under  the 
Juniper. 

Judson  had  no  language.  He  had  no 
help  in  learning  the  Burman  tongue,  and 
they  had  no  care  to  know  his.  God  gave 
him  a  child  in  September,  and  then  crushed 
his  heart  by  taking  it  away  in  May.  After 
a  long  while  his  health  failed,  and  he  had 
to  take  a  voyage  to  save  his  life.  But 
without  receiving  the  benefit  he  expected, 
he  returned  home  after  months  of  agoniz¬ 
ing  toil  and  travel. 

Worst  of  all,  the  Brethren  at  home,  who 
could  not  appreciate  the  difficulties  of  his 
situation,  began  to  complain  that  there 
were  no  converts.  They  forgot  that  Jud¬ 
son  had  no  power  to  hurry  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  His  work.  He  wrote  to  a  friend  at 
home,  “If  nothing  can  satisfy  them,  beg 
them  to  give  us  bread.  If  they  are  unwil¬ 
ling  to  give  us  bread,  beg  them  not  to 


18 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


hinder  others  who  will;  and  if  we  live 
twenty  or  thirty  years  they  may  hear  from 
us  again.”  Alas,  if  Judson  were  the  only 
man  wounded,  and  his  the  only  work 
injured  by  our  impatient  demand  for 
visible  results,  it  would  not  be  so  bad.  In 
our  forgetfulness  of  the  Missionary’s  dif¬ 
ficulties,  and  of  the  fact  that  he  can  only 
labor  while  God’s  spirit  gives  the  increase, 
we  have  left  too  many  noble  men  without 
sympathy  on  fields  where  they  needed  all 
we  could  have  given.  It  is  hard  for  a  man 
to  sacrifice  all  the  world  for  a  work  so 
onerous  that  he  staggers  under  it  as  one 
who  bears  a  grievous  burden,  and  then  to 
feel  the  dagger  of  criticism,  pointed  and 
poisoned  by  the  complaints  of  his  brethren, 
driven  into  his  heart  by  hands  that  should 
have  given  aid.  My  soul  is  stirred  with 
joy  and  praise  by  the  glad  news  God 
allows  some  of  our  workers  to  send  of 
conversions  and  baptisms,  but  a  yet  deep¬ 
er  chord  is  touched  by  those  patient  toilers 
who  report — uwe  have  but  few  results  to 
show ;  yet  our  hopes  are  as  bright  as  the 
promises  of  God.”  Brother,  if  you  will 
not  give  them  bread,  do  not  hinder  those 
who  will ! 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON.  19 

But  Judson’s  sky  grows  darker  yet. 
By  his  judicious  conduct  he  had  made 
friends  with  the  Governor  of  the  Rangoon 
Province,  but  while  he  was  making  the 
unfortunate  journey  already  mentioned, 
the  King  put  another  in  his  place  who 
ordered  all  white  people  to  leave  the 
country  at  once.  One  by  one  the  ships 
in  Rangoon  harbor  sailed  away  till  only 
one  was  left.  Mr.  Hough  and  his  wife, 
who  had  been  sent  to  help  the  Judsons, 
went  aboard  this  to  save  their  lives. 
After  much  persuasion  they  prevailed  on 
Mrs.  Judson  to  go  with  them.  But  she 
could  not  bear  the  idea  of  her  husband’s 
returning  and  finding  her  gone,  so  she 
went  back  alone  to  wait  for  him,  and,  if 
necessary,  to  die  at  her  post,  the  only  white 
person  that  dared  the  wrath  of  the  bloody 
Governor  !  At  last  her  companion  came, 
and  in  a  way  I  have  no  time  to  tell,  God 
kept  them  from  death. 

At  length,  after  six  long  years  of  wait¬ 
ing,  working  and  praying,  God’s  Spirit 
quickened  the  soul  of  a  heathen  by  the 
name  of  Moung  Nau.  Starvation,  death 
and  persecution  threatened  him  on  every 


20  ONE  HOUR  WITH 

side,  but  when  he  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus, 
he  rose  up  and  followed  after. 

For  the  toiling  Missionaries  day  was 
dawning.  They  beheld  the  “Sun  of  Right¬ 
eousness  arising  with  healing  in  his 
wings.”  They  had  waited  patiently  on  the 
Lord  and  he  had  performed  it.  The  same 
God  who  said,  “Go  and  preach,”  said  also, 
“Wait  and  know  that  I  am  the  Lord.”  So 
they  went,  preached  and  waited. 

In  November  two  others  were  converted 
and  persecutions  began  in  earnest. 

Judson  thought  it  best  to  take  his  little 
band  to  Chittagong,  where  he  could  get 
protection  from  the  English  Government. 
But  Providence  interposed  again,  this 
time  through  the  three  new-born  souls, 
who  refused  to  flee,  and  remained  to  en¬ 
dure  suffering  like  good  soldiers  of  the 
Cross.  “In  that  dark  hour  the  Spirit  of 
God  worked  mightily,”  and  seven  more 
passed  from  death  unto  life.  There  follows 
a  long  period  of  trial  and  busy  work  with 
hundreds  of  people,  who,  for  fear  of  death, 
stole  in  by  night  to  seek  the  way  of  salva¬ 
tion.  But  we  must  pass  it  by.  And  yet, 
though  we  do  but  glance  at  this  man,  busy 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 


n 


with  inquiring  souls,  he  makes  a  picture 
which  can  never  be  forgotten.  He  had 
kindled  a  strange,  new  light  in  that  mid¬ 
night  land, and  above  the  discordant  sounds 
from  the  jungles  of  outer  darkness,  rang 
his  clear,  sweet  call  to  life.  Some,  like 
beasts  of  prey,  attracted  by  the  wondrous 
sight,  drew  near  and  gnashed  upon  him 
with  their  teeth,  but  dared  not  enter  the 
charmed  circle  to  do  him  hurt.  Others 
entered  and  lingered  for  awhile  with  timid  ‘ 
hesitation  in  the  dim  borderland  of  twi¬ 
light,  and  then,  with  stealthy  step  and 
furtive  glance,  shrank  back  into  the  black¬ 
ness  of  despair.  Still,  others,  chained  by 
the  music  of  the  calling  voice  and  the 
matchless  beauty  of  the  Light,  came  under 
the  full  blaze  of  its  Glory,  and  found  peace 
and  safety  for  their  souls. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Baptists  at  home 
were  growing  cold  and  needed  something 
to  stir  them  up  to  send  recruits  for  the 
work  that  had  grown  too  large  for  Judson 
to  manage.  Nobody  here  would  do  it, 
Judson  could  not  leave  his  work,  and 
Mrs.  Judson  would  not  desert  him.  What 
was  to  he  done  ?  Only  this — God  took  away 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


y22 

the  wife’s  health  and  forced  her  back  home. 
She  was  gone  a  little  over  two  years  and 
returned  with  two  more  Missionaries, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wade,  after  having  deeply 
stirred  the  Brethren  in  America. 

While  she  was  gone,  Judson,  in  com¬ 
pany  with  a  Dr.  Price,  visited  the  King, 
whose  capital  was  at  Ava,  to  get  some  re¬ 
lief  for  the  persecuted  Christians.  To 
their  joy  and  surprise  they  were  not  only 
graciously  treated,  but  received  the  gift  of 
a  lot  in  Ava,  on  which  to  build  another 
mission  house!  With  joyful  and  thankful 
hearts  they  returned  to  Rangoon  to  make 
preparations  for  entering  this  open  door. 
The  Wades  were  to  take  charge  of  the 
church  in  Rangoon,  while  the  Judsons  oc¬ 
cupied  the  new  field  in  Ava. 

But  a  year  passed  before  they  could 
complete  their  arrangements,  and  when 
they  reached  Ava  again  they  found  the 
King  surrounded  by  a  new  set  of  coun¬ 
selors,  who  knew  and  cared  nothing  for 
Judson.  The  worst  came  soon  after  when 
war  broke  out  between  England  and  Bur- 
mah,  and  all  white  men  in  Ava  were  thrown 
into  prison  as  spies.  It  was  in  vain  that 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 


23 


Mrs.  Judson  tried  to  show  that  her  hus¬ 
band  was  an  American  and  in  no  wise  con¬ 
nected  with  England.  The  Burman  Mon¬ 
arch  was  too  dull  to  see  any  difference  be¬ 
tween  one  white  skin  and  another. 

Mr.  Judson  was  cast  into  the  death- 
prison  and  shackled  with  live  pairs  of 
irons.  His  wife  was  allowed  her  liberty, 
but  all  her  property  was  taken  from  her. 
She  was  left  in  extreme  poverty,  and  for¬ 
bidden  the  privilege  for  which  she  begged 
so  hard — the  comfort  of  seeing  and  minis¬ 
tering  to  her  suffering  husband.  He  was 
in  a  foul,  loathsome,  filthy  place  which 
was  full  of  vile  odors  and  poisoned  air. 
In  here  were  prepared  tortures  which 
reached  the  limit,  not  only  of  the  body  to 
endure,  but  of  the  human  eye  to  behold. 
Consequently,  as  if  in  fear  that  the  heart 
of  even  the  savage  executioner  would  fail 
him,  as  he  inflicted  the  dreadful  pangs, 
they  named  the  place,  “  Let-ma-yoon,” 
which  means,  “Hand,  shrink  not.” 

Judson  has  very  little  to  say  about  this 
period  of  his  life.  One  of  his  fellow  suf¬ 
ferers  thus  describes  the  prison  :  “It  had 
never  been  washed,  or  even  swept  since  it 


24 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


was  built.  This  gave  a  kind  of  fixedness, 
or  permanency  to  the  fetid  odors  until  the 
very  floors  and  walls  were  saturated  with 
them,  and  joined  in  emitting  the  pest. 
Putrid  remains  of  animal  and  vegetable 
stuff  which  needed  no  broom  to  make  it 
move  on  —  the  stale  fumes  from  thou¬ 
sands  of  tobacco  pipes — the  scattered  ejec¬ 
tions  of  the  pulp  and  liquid  from  their 
everlasting  betel,  and  other  nameless 
abominations  still  more  disgusting,  which 
covered  the  floor,  made  it  impossible  to 
say  what  it  was  like,  and  generated  creep¬ 
ing  things  that  very  soon  reconciled  me  to 
the  plunder  of  the  greater  portion  of  my 
dress.  ” 

In  this  fearful  place,  without  wholesome 
food,  or  air,  or  light,  Judson  lay  in  irons, 
sometimes  strung  with  other  prisoners  on 
a  bamboo  pole,  which  left  his  back  on  the 
ground  and  lifted  his  feet  in  the  air.  It  is 
not  strange  that  a  naturally  neat  and  sensi¬ 
tive  man  should  have  taken  the  prison 
fever.  He  would  have  died,  but  that  the 
Lord  gave  his  faithful  wife  favor  with  the 
Governor  of  the  North  Gate.  She  had 
been  busy  all  this  while  in  his  behalf. 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 


25 


Amid  insults  and  injuries,  neglect,  indif¬ 
ference,  tantalizing  hopes  and  wretched 
fears;  with  aching  head  and  limbs  and 
heart,  she  had  flitted  like  a  shadow  between 
the  palace,  to  beg  for  her  husband,  and  her 
hut,  to  weep  over  her  failure.  At  last  her 
eloquence  of  speech,  powerfully  reinforced 
by  the  sublimer  eloquence  of  her  beautiful 
life,  touched  the  heart  of  the  North  Gov¬ 
ernor,  and,  although  he  had  no  power  to 
release  the  prisoner,  he  gave  her  permis¬ 
sion  to  remove  him  to  the  outer  prison,  a 
place  not  quite  so  bad  as  the  death  hole, 
and  to  this  measure  of  mercy  he  added  the 
privilege  of  his  being  nursed  by  his  wife. 
The  Governor  three  times  received  inti¬ 
mations  to  kill  the  white  prisoners,  but  on 
account  of  Mrs.  Judson  he  refused  to  do  it. 

While  the  Missionary  was  slowly  re¬ 
covering,  his  wife,  who  was  constantly  by 
his  side,  received  a  summons  one  day  to 
appear  immediately  before  the  Governor. 
In  great  fear  and  dread  she  went,  but  to 
her  surprise  she  found  the  haughty  official 
in  an  excellent  good  humor.  He  detained 
her  in  the  palace  for  some  time  until  a 
servant  came  in  and  said, ‘‘They  are  gone.” 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


26 

He  then  informed  the  puzzled  wife  that 
orders  had  been  given  to  remove  the  pris¬ 
oners,  and  he  had  sent  for  her  that  she 
might  be  spared  the  pain  of  the  sight. 

In  meantime,  the  wretches,  more  dead 
than  alive,  were  chained  together,  two  and 
two,  and  were  being  driven  like  hogs  along 
toward  Oung-pen-la.  It  was  the  first  time 
they  had  seen  the  sky  in  eleven  months. 
They  did  not  go  more  than  a  half  mile  be¬ 
fore  their  bare  feet  were  blistered,  and 
very  soon  they  were  walking  simply  on  a 
mass  of  raw  flesh,  to  which  the  sand  and 
rocks,  over  which  they  were  trudging  in 
the  hot  sun,  felt  like  a  bed  of  burning 
coals.  It  is  no  wonder  that  Judson  wanted 
to  lie  down  and  die  in  the  cool  water  of  a 
river  through  which  they  were  driven,  but 
he  repented  of  the  thought  and  staggered 
on.  One  of  the  poor  fellows  fell  down  on 
the  road  side  and  died.  Judson  leaned  on 
his  companion  in  chains  till  both  were  ex¬ 
hausted  ;  then  a  slave  helped  him  along 
till  he  could  go  no  farther,  and  he  too 
gave  up  the  struggle.  For  some  strange 
reason  he  was  put  into  a  cart  and  carried 
on — I  say  strange  reason — it  was  because 


ADONIRAM  .TUDSON. 


27 


God  had  yet  other  work  for  him  to  do. 
When  they  reached  Oung-pen-la  they  were 
put  into  prison,  and  their  feet  again 
strung  up  on  bamboo  poles  until  mid¬ 
night,  with  no  way  to  get  rid  of  the 
swarms  of  mosquitoes  which  inflicted 
upon  the  raw  flesh  of  their  feet  the  most 
excruciating  torture. 

I  cannot  tell  of  the  agony  of  suspense 
that  possessed  the  wife,  as  she  went  from 
one  to  another,  begging  to  know  the  desti¬ 
nation  and  fate  of  her  husband.  It  was 
the  day  in  which  she  probably  felt  the 
keenest  anguish  of  her  life — but  the  record 
of  her  suffering  is  in  the  Book  of  Accounts 
—and  that  is  enough.  With  the  greatest 
difficulty  she  at  last  learned  whither  they 
had  taken  Mr.  Judson,  and  followed.  After 
a  tortuous  journey  she  reached  Oung-pen- 
la  and  rented  a  little  room  near  the  prison 
where  she1  resumed  the  nursing  of  the  suf- 
fering  and  almost  dying  preacher.  To 
this  burden,  which  was  both  heavy  and 
light,  because  she  loved  him,  was  added 
the  care  of  their  little  daughter,  who  was 
now  stricken  with  small  pox,  a  malady 
to  which  she  herself  very  soon  succumbed. 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


28 

It  was  more  than  flesh  and  blood  could 
stand,  and  they  must  have  all  died,  had 
not  God  raised  them  up  a  friend  in  the 
person  of  a  native  cook,  who  cared  for 
them  till  all  were  better. 

The  war  was  drawing  to  a  close  and  the 
English  were  everywhere  victorious.  To 
save  himself,  the  cowardly  King  got  the 
very  man,  whom,  for  no  cause  on  earth, 
he  had  punished  so  terribly,  to  come  and 
assist  him  in  his  negotiations  for  peace. 
So,  after  lying  in  Oung-pen-la  prison  for  six 
months,.  Judson  went  to  the  palace  of  the 
King  to  act  as  his  interpreter,  and  later  as 
one  of  the  Commissioners  of  Peace.  He  re¬ 
membered  One  who  had  prayed,  64  Father, 
forgive  them,  they  know  not  what  they 
do,”  and  with  undiminished  love  for  the 
souls  of  his  persecutors  he  undertook  their 
case,  and  showed  that  same  wisdom  in 
dealing  with  the  affairs  of  a  nation  that  he 
had  exhibited  in  guiding  the  fortunes  of 
a  struggling  church. 

When  everything  was  quiet  again,  he 
was  offered  a  position  of  honor  and  trust 
under  the  English  Government  with  a 
salary  of  $3,000  per  year,  but  he  had  gone 


AD  OK  IK  AM  JUDSON.  29 

to  Burmah  for  souls — not  dollars — and  it 
cost  him  no  effort  to  decline  what  would 
have  been  to  some  a  tempting  offer. 

Beginning  his  mission  work  anew  with 
unabated  vigor,  he  found  that  the  wolves 
had  scattered  his  little  flock  at  Rangoon. 
Getting  them  in  the  best  shape  he  could,  he 
made  his  headquarters  now  at  Amherst. 

It  was  here  the  great  sorrow  of  his  life 
came.  With  a  heart  full  of  yearning  for 
his  Burman  churches  he  had  gone  on  an¬ 
other  dangerous  journey  to  Ava,  to  pro¬ 
cure  for  them  relief  from  persecution. 
While  carrying  on  for  the  English  negoti¬ 
ations  for  a  commercial  treaty,  to  which 
was  attached  the  clause  granting  religious 
toleration,  his  patience  and  faith  were  put 
to  a  severe  test  by  the  rejection  of  the 
very  part  of  the  treaty  about  which  he  was 
most  anxious.  He  made  every  effort  to 
finish  the  tedious  work  and  hurry  back  to 
his  wife,  who  was  writing  by  every  op¬ 
portunity  of  her  work  in  the  Mission, 
which  she  still  carried  bravely  on.  One 
day,  while  in  high  hopes  that  he  would 
soon  see  her  again,  a  sealed  letter  was  put 
in  his  hand,  bearing  the  tidings  that  she 


30  one  hour  with 

had  gone  from  him  forever.  The  strain  of 
their  prison  life  had  undermined  her 
health,  and  while  toiling  like  a  heroine  at 
her  post  during  her  husband’s  absence,  she 
was  stricken  with  fever  again,  and  sur¬ 
rounded  by  friends — yet  lonely  without 
her  beloved — she.  went  to  her  reward,  Oc¬ 
tober  24th,  1826.  Let  us  not  intrude  on 
his  sorrow.  There  are  some  things  too 
sacred  to  be  gazed  upon  or  talked  about. 

Mrs.  Judson  was  greatlv  beloved  bv  the 
Burmese  Christians.  It  was  a  sight  to 
engage  the  attention  of  angels — these  once 
idolaters  and  savages  consoling  them¬ 
selves  with  the  thought  that  they  would 
meet  their  “White  Mother”  again  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus  ! 

Soon  after  this  his  little  daughter  Maria, 
his  only  remaining  comfort,  died,  and 
about  six  months  later  he  received  news 
that  his  aged  father  had  passed  away,  in 
America.  Thus,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine, 
he  had  learned  the  true  meaning  of  the 
Scripture — “Whom  the  Lord  loveth,  he 
chasteneth.” 

He  sought  to  forget  sorrow  in  his  work, 
and  reinforcements  coming  from  America, 


A  DON  I  RAM  JUDSON. 


HI 


lie  enlarged  it,  till  his  eye  was  gladdened 
by  several  active  churches.  Rangoon,  his 
first  love,  gathered  itself  together  under  a 
native  preacher,  and,  although  people 
thought  it  was  utterly  blotted  out  from 
the  face  of  the  earth,  it  grew  out  of  its 
ashes  until  it  became  one  of  the  most 
flourishing  of  all  the  Burman  Churches. 
Ten  years  ago  this  Mission  had  89  churches 
with  3,700  members.  This  was  only  fifty- 
five  years  after  the  time  when  neither 
anxious  friend  nor  hating  foe  could  find 
the  slightest  trace  of  its  existence. 

In  1827  Judson  made  Maulmain  his  cen¬ 
tral  station,  where  in  the  face  of  bitter  op¬ 
position  he  gathered  a  band  of  believers 
who  endured  persecution  like  the  Saints 
of  old,  and  died,  some  of  them,  rejoicing 
in  Christ. 

I  must  pass  that  period  of  his  life  given 
to  evangelizing  the  “wild  men” — called  in 
their  tongue  Karens— -and  to  carrying  the 
Gospel  to  Central  Burmah,  and  will  only 
mention  that  the  need  of  men  was  so  great, 
and  the  Brethren  were  so  tardy  in  supply¬ 
ing  the  needs  of  the  Mission  that  he  gave 
all  the  money  he  had  to  the  work,  while 


32 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


those  who  ought  to  have  done  it,  sat  in 
their  ease  at  home  with  ears  deaf,  alike  to 
the  pitiful  cry  of  the  lost,  and  to  the  com¬ 
mands  of  the  Lord.  Let  us  not  say  too 
much  about  it.  So  many  of  us  are  in  glass 
houses. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  his  busy  life 
at  this  period.  He  was  wanted  and  called 
for  everywhere.  Wild  Karen  and  bigotted 
Burman  alike,  aroused  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  came  to  him  asking, 4  •  What  must  we 
do  to  be  saved?”  and  through  him  the  Lord 
led  hundreds  to  the  Cross. 

In  1834,  about  eight  years  after  the 
death  of  his  wife,  he  married  the  widow  of 
George  D.  Boardman,  his  beloved  fellow- 
worker  who  had  died  several  years  before. 

He  finished  this  year,  what  is,  possibly, 
the  most  important  work  of  his  life,  that 
had  been  faithfully  and  carefully  carried 
on  all  this  weary  while.  His  scholarly 
attainments  must  not  be  forgotten.  When 
the  time  came  to  give  the  Burman  the 
Bible  in  his  own  language  the  Lord  had 
the  man  ready  to  do  the  work.  I  have  no 
time  to  make  you  appreciate  the  difficul¬ 
ties  of  this  herculean  task.  He  gave  the 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 


33 


books  out  to  the  heathen  by  sections,  as 
they  would  be  finished,  and  in  1834  they 
had  it  all,  together  with  many  tracts,  trea¬ 
tises  and  catechisms,  designed  for  their 
instruction. 

It  is  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  any  na¬ 
tion  when  the  Bible  is  printed  in  its  own 
tongue. 

But  Judson’s  chief  delight  was  in  preach¬ 
ing,  and  nothing  but  its  tremendous  im¬ 
portance  ever  held  him  to  the  tedious  work 
of  translating.  The  paper  that  bore  the 
record  of  his  determination  to  do  it  was 
found  blotted  with  tears.  When  it  was 
finished,  he  felt  like  a  bird  out  of  its  cage. 
“Thanks  be  to  God,”  said  he,  “I  can  now 
say  that  I  have  attained.”  Falling  on  his 
knees,  and  imploring  forgiveness  for  all 
the  sins  that  had  marred  it,  he  dedicated 
the  precious  volume  to  the  Glory  of  God. 

But  to  his  sorrow  he  found  that  his 
work  in  this  line  was  not  yet  done.  In 
order  that  the  finished  Bible,  and  the  lan¬ 
guage  he  had  so  perfectly  mastered,  might 
be  used  to  their  full  advantage,  the  neces¬ 
sity  of  a  Burmese  dictionary  was  urged 
upon  him.  This,  for  a  long  time,  he  flatly 


84  ONE  HOUR  WITH 

refused  to  make.  He  was  literally  pos¬ 
sessed  by  the  desire  to  preach.  What  was 
to  be  done?  The  dictionary  was  a  necessity, 
and  the  only  man  capable  of  making  one 
would  not  stop  preaching  long  enough  to 
do  it.  The  Lord  arranged  the  matter  in 
His  own  way.  He  took  away  Judson’s 
voice,  and  the  almost  speechless  preacher 
just  had  to  do  the  work  required  of  him. 
Oh!  Mysterious  Providence,  how  hard  and 
how  useless  for  weak  mortals  to  “kick 
against  the  pricks.1’ 

With  a  disappointed,  though  cheerful 
heart,  he  now  undertook  the  much  dreaded 
work,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  had  it 
so  nearly  finished  that  others  had  no  diffi¬ 
culty  in  completing  it. 

Judson  had  been  frequently  urged  to 
visit  America  in  the  interest  of  his  Mis¬ 
sion,  and,  although  his  heart  yearned  for 
the  sight  of  his  native  land,  he  felt  as  if 
he  could  not  leave  his  post.  At  length, 
after  an  absence  of  thirty-two  years,  it 
seemed  as  if  the  Lord’s  time  for  him  to  go 
had  come,  and  so  He  laid  Mrs.  Judson  on 
a  bed  of  sickness,  and  in  hope  of  saving 
her  life,  Mr.  Judson  was  under  the  neccs- 


ADON1RAM  JUDSON. 


85 


sity  of  taking  her  to  her  far-off  home.  On 
their  homeward  journey  their  vessel  put 
in  at  the  Isle  of  France,  where  Mrs.  Jud- 
son  grew  so  much  better  that  they  deter¬ 
mined  to  endure  the  trial  of  separation, 
she  going  on  to  America  alone,  and  he  re¬ 
turning  to  his  work.  But  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  again  interposed.  The  wife  relapsed, 
and  they  both  pursued  their  journey  to¬ 
gether.  As  the  ship  proceeded  she  grew 
worse,  and,  approaching  St.  Helena,  she 
died  September  1st,  1845,  and  was  buried 
in  that  Island  Rock,  famous  to  the  world 
as  the  great  Napoleon’s  prison,  but  known 
to  the  angels  as  the  resting  place  of  the 
more  truly  great  Sarah  B.  Judson.  I 
would  love  to  tell  you  something  about 
her  beautiful  and  heroic  life,  but  1  must 
go  on  to  America  with  her  •  grief-stricken 
husband. 

Arrived  at  home,  he  traveled  over  the 
country  and  was  received  everywhere  with 
the  greatest  respect  and  love.  No  con¬ 
quering  hero  could  have  had  greater  honor 
shown  him.  By  his  presence,  his  weak 
voice,  and,  above  all,  the  sight  of  the 
marks  of  Jesus  Christ  which  he  bore  about 


36 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


in  his  body,  and  the  more  thorough  knowl¬ 
edge  of  his  great  work,  he  aroused  the  en¬ 
thusiasm  of  the  people  to  a  high  pitch, 
and  the  cause  of  missions  took  on  new 
life.  At  last  his  heart  turned  to  his  real 
home  in  Burmah,  and  in  less  than  a  year 
after  his  arrival  in  America  we  find  him 
on  his  way  back,  embarking  July  1.1th, 
1846,  having  married,  on  the  2nd, 
Miss  Emily  Chubbuck — better  known  at 
that  time  as  the  spicy  authoress, FannyFor- 
rester.  This  match  dissatisfied  everybody 
on  both  sides,  but  it  turned  out  for  the 
best,  for  she  was  an  excellent  woman,  in 
every  way  worthy  of  the  two  great  women 
whose  successor  she  was. 

Reaching  Burmah,  he  took  up  his  work 
with  unabated  energy  in  Maulmain  and 
Rangoon,  but -suffered  agony  in  the  latter 
place  from  sickness  in  his  family,  and  no 
physician  to  relieve  it.  At  the  same  time 
the  government  oppressed  him  sorely,  and 
Catholic  priests  persecuted  him  bitterly, 
from  neither  of  which  he  could  escape,  for 
the  monsoon  was  raging  and  no  ship  dared 
sail  from  the  harbor. 

Nothing  daunted,  he  was  determined  to 


ADONIRAM  JUDSON. 


get  relief  and  enlarge  his  work  by  visiting 
the  King  in  Ava  again,  but  from  a  strange 
source  his  plans  were  destroyed.  The 
Baptists  at  home  diminished  their  contri¬ 
butions  and  he  had  to  abandqn  his  purpose 
and  work  in  narrower  limits.  This,  too, 
at  a  time  when,  night  after  night,  crowds 
of  people,  at  the  risk  of  their  lives,  were 
coming  to  learn  of  One  who  they  were 
told  could  save  them  from  perdition.  Oh! 
Brethren,  L  fear  in  some  way  or  other  God 
will  make  us  suffer  for  the  way  we  treat 
those  poor  souls  who  cannot  hear  of  Christ 
*  except  we  send  them  preachers.  * 

Money  was  afterwards  sent,  but  it  was 
near  his  death  and  too  late  to  accomplish 
his  purpose. 

Returning  to  Maulmain,  he  toiled  on  till 
he  came  to  his  last  illness,  and  on  that  bed 
of  death  it  is  not  strange  to  hear  him  say 
he  was  “at  peace.”  “The  love  of  Christ” 
was  more  than  ever  his  theme,  and  as  he 
would  lie  thinking  of  it,  happy  tears  would 
steal  down  his  cheeks.  When  too  feeble 
to  talk,  he  would  look  up  at  his  wife  with 
a  smile  on  his  lips  and  whisper,  “Oh!  the 
love  of  Christ,  the  love  of  Christ.” 


QQ 

f)0 


ONE  HOUR  WITH 


“He  had  rare!  visions  of  Glory,”  says 
his  son,  “than  are  usually  given  to  mor¬ 
tals.”  Yet,  bright  as  they  were,  he  longed 
for  a  few  more  years  of  work.  “  1  will  not 
miss  them,”  said  he  to  his  wife,  “from  my 
eternity  of  bliss,  and  I  might  very  well 
spare  them  for  your  sake  and  the  hea¬ 
then’s.”  Unsurpassed  consecration,  that 
was  willing  not  only  to  give  the  world  for 
Christ,  but  part  of  heaven  too! 

As  a  last  hope  he  was  sent  on  a  voyage 
to  the  Island  of  Bourbon,  his  wife  not  be¬ 
ing  allowed  to  accompany  him  on  account 
of  her  own  dangerous  illness.  His  suffer-  ' 
ings  for  a  while  were  intense,  but  subsided 
in  death,  and,  while  still  on  shipboard,  he 
fell  asleep,  April  12th,  1850,  and  was 
buried  in  Lat.  13°  N.,  Long.  93°  E.  “His 
sepulchre  was  the  ocean,  which,  like  his 
sympathies,  visited  every  shore  on  earth.” 

I  will  not  detain  you  by  making  an  ex¬ 
tended  estimate  of  his  character.  You 
must  have  noticed  his  absorbing  love  for 
Christ  and  immortal  souls,  which  led  him 
to  such  lengths  of  self-sacrifice.  His  ca¬ 
pacity  for  suffering  is  no  less  marked.  He 
was  possessed  of  enormous  will  power, 


ADONIltAM  JUDSON. 


39 


and  yet,  he  was  in  the  hands  of  God,  like 
clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter,  and  a  fitter 
vessel  for  His  glory  was  never  moulded. 
The  stream  of  his  life  flowed  according  to 
its  own  sweet  will  along  its  channel,  but 
the  finger  of  God  went  before  him  tracing 
that  channel  and  directing  its  course  to 
His  own  ends. 

He  was  scholarly,  broad,  wise  and  pru¬ 
dent.  His  patience  and  his  persistence 
were  beautifully  matched  and  balanced.  He 
waited  on  the  Lord  with  calm  resignation, 
but  he  worked  while  he  waited  with  un¬ 
tiring  energy,  and  the  Lord  rewarded  him 
here,  as  well  as  in  Heaven,  by  making  him 
a  founder  and  a  builder.  His  was  a  work 
of  construction.  He  had  prayed  to  give 
the  Bible  to  Burmah  in  her  own  language 
and  to  build  a  church  of  one  hundred 
members.  God  allowed  him  not  only  to 
make  the  Bible,  but  the  most  difficult  part 
of  the  dictionary,  and  blessed  his  eyes 
with  the  sight  of  sixty-three  churches,  in 
which  seven  thousand  happy  converts  wor¬ 
shipped  the  true  God  with  a  constancy 
worthy  of  our  emulation.  There  are  now 
in  Burmah  ninety-eight  missionaries,  one 


40 


ONE  IIOUK  WITH 


hundred  and  eighteen  native  preachers  and 
twenty-five  thousand  three  hundred  and 
seventy-one  members. 

His  effect  on  American  churches  was  no 
less  important,  for  it  was  through  him 
that  God  called  into  existence  all  their 
missionary  agencies  which  now  support 
preachers  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  I  know 
of  no  human  source  whence  flow  sweeter 
waters  than  from  the  wellspring  of  this 
godly  life. 


